Shattered Beta
by Aura
Summary: Reworking of my fiction Shattered. Will turn into Rimida OC /Kagome as opposed to the original Sesshomaru/Kagome. Kagome loses her memory and finds herself in the midst of a court of demons in the western lands. Mature for eventual dark themes.
1. Fractured Compassion

"_In the face of grave defeat I heard cries for mercy._

_No barrier of self control, no innocent composure._

_Abusing love and like a child inflicting pain upon itself_

_When the calling finally comes…well there will be no one waiting."_

**-VNV Nation 'Entropy'**

**Chapter One:** _Fractured Compassion_

Iridescent sprinkles of diamond dust were scattered across the velvet cobalt horizon, sparkling from beyond a line of dark clouds that were beginning to roll in, thunder reverberating distantly with the approaching storm. Winds flowed balefully through the trees, limbs and leaves snapping as they caught the malign end of nature's bluster. The deplorable weather a minor reflection of the tempest of emotions inside the heart of the young girl running through the woods, completely ignoring the first drops of rain as they mingled with her own bitter tears.

It was the only thing the broken girl could do in the circumstances, the burning in her legs kept her from curling into a ball and wishing she never existed, never found this feudal world that had wounded her spirit.

Her face was amazingly wet for the sprinkling sky, soaked with her tears long before the heavens had begun to spit on her. Mahogany eyes barely open and blurred as she dashed haphazardly, half-crashing as much as running through the lush forests of ancient japan. She could taste blood mixing with the salt on her lips after one of her more painful encounters with a thorn bush, the dozens of small cuts burning as they mixed with the rain and tears surrounding her.

She didn't care. She didn't give a damn about any of it. The fact that she was running further and further from anything she was familiar with, that she would be in danger if she happened into a dangerous area of the woods. She almost hoped that some monster would come and end the pain the shattering of her heart had caused. Whatever pain her body would go though was pale in comparison to the deep gashes her soul was suffering.

Her breath was getting heavier, the constant running and sobbing getting to be hard on her already shocked body. She wasn't about to let something like her lungs screaming for air give a moment's pause in her mad retreat, it was as if the pain was somehow numbed by what she'd been forced to witness.

She needed to run, to do anything to tear her mind from that cruel scene of her first love's body entwining with Kikyo. His lips locked passionately with those of that insufferable creature, something that she had been cursed by being born a reincarnation of…the way he had curled his arm protectively around her…an embrace that she would never again share…

"_He never even moved to chase after me…"_

She closed her eyes to push out more tears, shaking her head as she continued to push herself as hard as she could, half-sobbing between strained gasps of air. If she blacked out, at least it would be a temporary reprieve from the anguish of her lost love. She ignored the stitch in her side, the flames in her lungs, the needles in her thighs knees and ankles, she'd lost both shoes sometime back but they weren't important enough to slow down for.

She fought the weaknesses and pain in her body as best as she possibly could. Kagome just knew she needed to run, to get as far away as possible from that boy and his betrayal. Escaping the only way she could from the cruel situation.

The cliff came much too quickly for the devastated girl to realize, the sudden sensation of freefalling after her long flight from the village had left her without even the breath with which to scream as she fell into a dark oblivion below her.

She closed her eyes, somehow it was the reprieve she'd been praying for. Even if she had to go out of the world unheard…it wasn't a world she wanted to be a part of anymore…not without Inuyasha…

_**ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo**_

It would have already been dark with the new moon not offering any light, with the extra clouds from the passing storm it was almost black in the rural area of the forest. A high pitched grumbling coming from the tiny imp trying to find his way along the poorly lit floor while his young ward crept along behind him, looking around curiously when she wasn't watching him hop up and down from stubbing a toe or muffling a giggle when he started to whine about babysitting her.

"Rin…don't wander off!" He immediately ordered when he felt her let go of his robes. "You troublesome girl, you'll get lost in the dark like this if you get too far. Don't waste lord Sesshomaru's time just wandering around."

He seemed accustomed to being irritated at the child with him and unlikely to be anything else for some time. His complaints were interrupted by broken curses as he tripped over a root sticking a few inches from the ground and landed in a tangle of vines. His animated struggles and the fit of rage that followed only seemed to further his entanglement, the light innocent laughter of Rin only mocking the poor position he'd ended up in.

"Do you need help getting free Master Jaken?" Her cheery voice was never far below her bubbly surface, not realizing how the offer would be taken.

"I don't need help from the likes of you." Jaken snapped back irritably, concentrating so the staff of two heads would open and the fire would curl into vines, getting him free but making him squeak when it caught on his robes as well.

The imp rolled around the ground in the wet grass to put himself out, stopping and jumping up still smoking when he heard Rin let out a frightened squeal…putting himself between her and where she was staring wide-eyed.

"It's Kagome…" the girl barely spoke in a whisper as she continued to gape over her small guardian's shoulder. "…is she okay Master Jaken?"

"No. She looks like she's dead." Jaken replied heartlessly, poking the tangled broken body of Inuyasha's priestess with his staff.

The gasp of the child was followed shortly by a slam on the imp's head. Sesshomaru standing behind the pair as he joined the two near the scene, golden eyes taking in just how heavily damaged the priestess was.

One of her legs was obviously broken and likely more than once, settled in ways it shouldn't be able to bend with the vines tangled around it and her body, holding her up from the ground. Her arms were both bent behind her so far that it was immediately noticeable that both were dislocated and one was curled so far around her body that it likely had several complex fractures of it's own. She had blood along her whole body from where part of one of the branches that broke her fall had pierced deeply into her left side, one of her ribs was showing and blood had exploded from the injury, still bleeding a little though it had slowed considerably from the initial pour. Dozens of other cuts and bruises covered her whole body and the right side of her face was so heavily bruised it would be a wonder if her brain had survived such a massive impact fully intact. The fact that her breath was coming - even shallowly - was a miracle, even Lord Sesshomaru had a twinge of pity for the amount of pain she would be in once she woke in such a state.

"She's still breathing!" Rin announced, relief flooding her voice once she noticed that. "She's alive, we need to get her help…without a doctor she might die!"

"Rin, Lord Sesshomaru has better things to do than come to the aid of some wench of that half-breed." Jaken frowned at her assumption that his great lord would lift a finger to aid the human. He always knew that protecting Rin was a little strange but she really needed to learn better manners if she planned to survive being close to demon society.

"Jaken." The single word from his lord shut the imps mouth before he could continue his chiding of the young girl.

The dog demon almost seemed to radiate his own gentle light, a trick because of his white garments and silvered hair but something that only added a mysterious attraction to his already grand stature. The fluff that was his tail curled and flowed in the gentle winds that were now blowing, swaying in unison to the soft ebon hair of the upside down and still unconscious Kagome. Amber eyes staring at the woman as he mentally catalogued the many injuries she had incurred. She smelled so heavily of blood that any other aroma's were being lost in the almost overpowering coppery scent. He stared for a time without expression before he turned to walk away.

"Lord Sesshomaru?!" Rin called after him in childish protest. "We need to help her! We can't just leave her here. She'll die!"

He resisted the initial urge to sigh and paused in his steps, though didn't turn to glance back.

Just what was Inuyasha's female doing here in such a state? Did she get separated from the rest of his group and they were simply unaware of her invalid state. He glanced upward to where she had to have fallen from, having to admit that the fact that she was alive at all was impressive for a mortal. He didn't need anymore difficulties but she'd offered him aid during the final battle with Naraku. He knew he didn't really owe her anything but that he would never hear the end of it from Rin if he did leave her.

For his ward's piece of mind if nothing else he could carry her back to his estate and have a servant tend to the many wounds. If she didn't survive then at least his young ward wouldn't constantly remind him of his failure to attempt.

His mind made up the girl was cut down by a swift series of slashes, the indifferent demon lord allowing her body to settle on his shoulder, ignoring the blood staining the white silk of his kimono. Her eyes were still swollen from tears he managed to scent only after he'd taken her so close, the salty aroma lost amidst the copper scent from the blood. It added to some small curiosity of how she'd ended there without her companions looking for her…he didn't scent anyone else nearby, though he would have the chance to ask later if the desire so touched him.

She was still unconscious for the moment, though it likely would be a shock if she woke up to the wounds she had and Sesshomaru carrying her. Though with Rin there staring at him he could lower himself to the simple act of transferring her back to his home and assigning a healer to look after her.

"But…Lord…she's just a human…Inuyasha's little…" Jakens surprised protest was cut off when a single golden glance instantly silenced him. The imp still staring in annoyed disbelief of what he was watching but too afraid to invoke his lord's wrath. Though that didn't stop him from worrying that at this rate he would end up being babysitter to a second girl if she didn't die.

"See…told you Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't just leave her." Rin proclaimed proudly to Jaken, standing up straighter and sticking her tongue out at him. "You don't know him at all."

"Why you…" Jaken started to retort but then had to jump up and grab onto Sesshomaru's long tail as he took off into the sky, floating on a cloud that flowed into existence beneath him and Rin at his will. The vexed imp hanging on for dear life as they sped through the air toward the west.

**End Chapter**

_Author Notes:_ For those reading this that are unaware, this is going to end up being a different version of my fiction Shattered. It is starting in much the same way because there will be a point where it varies from the original story and I thought it a good chance to work on some of my existing descriptions. This will be a fiction with Kagome and an Original Character (Rimida), though there may be hints of Sesshomaru/Kagome at times.

I think I write better when I'm sad. Which is a sad thought!

_-Aura_

_P.S. Thanks to all the support I had to begin this with the intention of finally bringing Kagome and Rimida together after my previous fiction. All my reviewers from there really helped me finally decide to work on this one._


	2. Pain and Skepticism

"_Inside my skin there is this space. It twists and turns, it bleeds and aches…"_

**-Jewel "Absence of Fear"**

**Chapter Two:**_Pain and Skepticism_

Pain was the first thing that she felt upon waking, though instead of the emotional torture one might consider after her betrayal, in this instance the agony was physical alone. Her head, her arms, her legs, every part of her body seemed to ache at once, from her toes to her fingertips she was aware of the presence of parts of her body she never knew she had before. She wasn't even certain she wanted to open her eyes to see where she was. _"What on earth could have happened? Have I been in some sort of terrible accident."_

The last thing she remembered was falling down the well in the broken down shack on the shrine's grounds…was she at the bottom? _"It couldn't have hurt this badly, could it?"_

She fought with herself and finally opened her eyes before snapping them shut again right after…it was brighter than expected in the large room she was in, or at least she was still so disoriented that she was a tad looking at anything might just send her back into unconsciousness. _"Maybe that wouldn't be so bad though…man…I've never hurt like this."_

"_Am I at some sort of care facility?" _she thought as she squinted at the large room. Thoughts of passing back out weren't something that would keep her from trying to look around. _"A canopy bed? Mom and Grandpa can't possibly afford this…what on earth could have happened to me? Did I get into some sort of other accident?"_

The room where she was resting was one of the largest she'd ever seen, double doors with glass panes were allowing the sun to shine inside. They held detailed red, white, and silver cherry blossom styled patterns in the edges. Though thankfully the skies cloud cover had made it not as bright as moments before, there were plush crimson curtains pulled to either side of the doors to allow the light in. The grand king-sized canopy bed held matching deep red sheets and blankets, though the separating cloth that was able to be released as an extra screen was a brilliant ivory white in color. The mahogany posts and frame were etched to appear as if they had ivy curling up and overgrowing it's surface. Other than the expensive bed - though it was grand enough on it's own, there was a vanity and dresser both framed with some sort of onyx stone though without the detail of the other pieces of furniture. There were two other doors, one was open and she could see a bathtub but not much else from her vantage point. The second door was closed leaving her with little clues as to where she could be other than the large mountains in the distance beyond the connecting balcony.

"_I'm in the country then?" _She wondered curiously as she forced her arms to move a little, wincing but pushing herself to the side of the bed. _"I need to find out what happened. Where Mom, Souta, and Grandpa are…even if I fell down the well I shouldn't have been this hurt."_

She slowly scooted to the edge of the bed, glad for the stand table and the pitcher of water she found there. She poured herself a glass and sipped at it appreciatively, realizing how dry her throat had been for the first time. She settled the glass back down and stared at her feet off the side of the bed, also considering the expensive silk kimono working as her pajamas. Ignoring those odd details to instead gather the will and energy to stand without falling over. She moved slow in case she found herself in sudden further pain or couldn't support her weight, putting pressure on her feet slowly.

It was pins and needles for a while, getting some feeling back and wincing at the pain involved, it was much work than a simple kink in her neck…she was sore from a long period of inactivity. It was a few minutes of basic movements and forced -if small- exercise before she was content enough with her shaky legs to move away from the safety promised by being near the bed. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror on the vanity and gasped at the ugly brown and yellow bruise covering the right side of her face from her jaw to her forehead and from her ear to her nose. She stared for a while in disbelief, the edges of her mouth sinking into a frown.

"_Exactly how long was I unconscious?" _She swallowed nervously and stepped toward the closed door, it took her a minute or two to reach it but she did and she paused to catch her breath. _"I'm really out of shape, I must have been out for a while."_

She finally opened the door and then was shocked again to find a grand hallway filled with other doors and a set of steps much further on leading up. She was daunted by the fact that she saw no people around and avoided the idea of needing to go up steps yet, instead using the wall as extra support she started to make her way to the next door. Someone had to be inside this huge facility somewhere.

It took her just as long to reach her destination and she knocked on the door as hard as her sore bones would allow - which wasn't very loud consequently. When she didn't receive an answer she tried the knob but found it locked.

"_I'm starting to think it would have been a better idea to stay in bed." _she glanced back toward the room she came from. "_I already started looking so I might as well keep at it. If it didn't hurt so much I'd say this was some sort of bizarre dream."_

She turned when a door opened, looking hopeful for answers when she had to blink and rub her eyes in wonder if the hit she'd taken to her head hadn't left her hallucinating.

Sesshomaru had left his office, pursuing after the little noise she'd caused knocking on the armory door and he was watching her in all his glory. His fluff, seeming to be the softest most silver fur she'd ever seen - even if it seemed like he was wearing a boa. His kimono clean with his usual spiked armor, the symbol of his own painted in red at his shoulder and on the opposite leg, sword tucked safely into his sash. Golden eyes as cold and unreadable as ever they were, the midnight blue quarter moon mark on his forehead and scarlet lines on his cheeks a stark contrast to his pale, wrinkle-free skin. He didn't appear very inhuman but something about his aura told her there was something odd about him - though his sharp claw-like nails and other strange choice of attire helped with her nervousness.

"_She doesn't recognize me." _he noted to himself after a few moments as she continued to stare at him without calling his name as she often had in the past when they'd crossed paths. _"Curious."_

"You shouldn't be out of bed." He observed aloud, his voice demanding her attention even in it's dead tone, "You nearly died from all the injuries you sustained. I'm surprised you can walk at all, and while that is vaguely impressive for a human, you should return to resting so you will recover."

"Um…what happened? Where am I?" She asked, steadying herself on the wall so she wouldn't fall over from some dizziness that was bothering her still. _"For a human? What else is there?"_

He raised an angelic platinum brow just a bit, though otherwise seemed more annoyed than inquisitive as he answered. "You fell off of a cliff several miles from here. This is my estate, I brought you here after I found you. I'm sure you can return to your friends once your state of health has improved."

"I fell off a cliff?!" she was louder than she meant to be as she repeated the frightening news. "Where are Mom, Souta, and Grandpa? Do they know I'm okay? Do my friends and family know I'm here? Are you a doctor then?"

"_What sort of doctor dresses like this? Have I been kidnapped by some odd rich guy? I've heard about things like that…how on earth did I fall off a cliff? What was I even doing out here?" _Her mind was reeling, and while her body was still screaming at her the frightening surprise was enough to distract her from it for a few moments.

He let out a small sigh and she easily picked up that he was somehow irritated by the conversation. Though he replied, glancing along the hall as if he'd heard something that she hadn't, making her note that his ears seemed to be pointed a little. "I do not know where any of your companions or family might be. As far as I do know, no one is aware of your location or the status of your health. I am not a doctor, I simply employ some good healers."

"Good healers? They aren't doctors? Why did you bring me here then instead of taking me to Tokyo or another city with a hospital that has actual monitors and such things?" She was frowning now, the attitude wasn't making her feel any better and the dizziness was making her lose her patience. _"Does he really have pointed ears? Could he be some sort of manga or anime fan?"_

"Demon healers are better than human doctors." He glanced back to her at the insolence but didn't give away any emotion but boredom or perhaps some mild annoyance. "What do you mean by having monitors?"

"Demon healers?" she blinked and frowned more. "Are you crazy? What's a demon healer? Is this one of those crazy cult things out in the woods that people read about?"

That was when it all added up for the demon lord, he had read about things like this in some of the few medical books he'd been forced to study during his youth.

"You've lost your memory then." He as much thought aloud as told her. "I suppose such a heavy hit to your head explains such an occurrence. I'm not certain of some of the things you are babbling about but you were unconscious for almost a month before you woke up today. I am Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands. You used to travel with the useless half-breed that unfortunately shares my father's blood and a group of other humans with various skills for your race that made them less weak than most. I can take you to the village where you all tended to stay often after you are well if you haven't remembered where it is by then."

"_Lord of the Western Lands? People really should make their kids have a better grasp on reality growing up."_ She was staring at him like he was a madman. As far as she was concerned he was and he might have helped her but if that was the case then he'd accidentally kidnapped her in the process. "Look, can I just use your phone and call home so my Mom and family will know I'm okay? I can give them the address and they can pick me up sooner."

"You are still suffering from the blow to the head. You are mumbling gibberish again." He started to walk toward her with the intent of escorting her back to her room. Though a wave of her priestess senses washed over her, giving her a silent warning as to Sesshomaru's demonic nature…all it did was make her feel suddenly afraid and she backed away from the approaching man as she saw dark circles dance in front of her vision.

She was falling before she even realized she had feinted. There was nothing in the hall to trip over but the tax on her body and mind followed by the spiritual assault of the approaching power of a demon as strong as Sesshomaru was too much for the poor girl. A moment later it had passed though and she found herself blinking at the sensation of a warm arm around her back as her eyes began to clear. _"The crazy man, he caught me…but he was almost ten feet away…how could he have gotten close enough to catch me before I hit the ground?"_

"How did you…?" she blinked, then blushed as she noticed she enjoyed how nice and warm it felt to be held. The body needs contact even if it isn't awake, it helps to feed the soul…she'd had such little contact and even if she didn't remember her emotionally crippling experience with Inuyasha her soul yearned for the comfort of a kind touch. "…I mean you were all the way…"

"This grows tiresome." He announced calmly, picking her up completely before she could offer a word of protest - though she wasn't sure she would have argued with it. Carrying her back to her room with a swift step that made her eyes see stars for a bit before she was settled back on the bed. He seemed to move faster than was possible. _"Is it just my imagination because of the injuries?"_

"Rest for now, I'll send in someone to help tend your wounds and feed you. I'll see what I can find out about this bothersome memory issue." He was slightly annoyed that she couldn't remember who he was, how on earth was he going to be considered a fearsome lord if a weak human girl didn't fear him other than out of reaction to her priestly powers. He narrowed his eyes on the slight burn already healing on his palm, unfortunately it seemed her subconscious at least hadn't forgotten her abilities to purify.

**End Chapter**

_Author's_ _Notes_: At the moment I'm mostly doing a lot of clean up of the opening chapters of the original Shattered. I wanted to toss in a little more skepticism on Kagome's part given she was suppose to completely lose her memories of the feudal era.

_-Aura_

_P.S. Thank you for the few reviews I got in support of my wanting to put together Kagome and Rimida - finally._


	3. Introduction of Chaos

_"The palest ink is better than the best memory."_

_**-Chinese Proverb**_

**Chapter Three:** _Introduction of Chaos_

"Any luck with the search?" Shippou asked, nervously wringing his little paws as he looked up at Sango and Miroku. The pair of friends re-entering the humble hut of the priestess Kaede. The fox kit was obviously concerned for their lost companion, the fur of his arms a bit ruffled from all of his anxious behavior.

"I'm afraid there is nothing yet." Miroku answered with a serious look on his face. Sitting down near the stew that had been left over the fire to keep it warm. "It's a pity Inuyasha is such an idiot. The least he could have done is tell her instead of letting her catch them like that…again."

"A little late to worry about that now." Sango put in wisely. "He did go back to her time for us to see if she was there. We know that she's still here somewhere and we need to do what we can to find her. I doubt we'll get much more help from Inuyasha with Kikiyo keeping him busy. With his temper I don't imagine he would be a great help to our search anyway."

"It's been a long time though." the fox kit pulled at one of his ears as he spoke to them, crawling onto Miroku's shoulder by grasping the thick purple fabric of his robes and pulling himself. "I mean…do you think she's still okay? Why wouldn't she have come back by now? Or at least gone back home?"

"Who can say?" Miroku sighed a little as he sat down in the hut, tired from a long few days of searching. "He broke her heart, you can't really blame her for not wanting to risk coming in an area where she would be reminded of that."

Sango watched Miroku's observations thoughtfully and slightly surprised at his insight to a woman's feelings in this area. Finally nodding in agreement when she realized Shippou was looking at her for some sort of confirmation.

"I have to agree." She ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know where she could have gone without being seen though. I'm not willing to believe that something could have happened to her but for Kagome to go without being seen by any local village for such a long time isn't faith inspiring. We will have to keep searching. She'll turn up, she's always managed before."

"Master Miroku!" The squeaky voice of Hachi reached them from above somewhere a moment before the frightened demon ran into the small shack. "I found this in the woods! Here, here."

The raccoon held up one of Kagome's shoes to the monk with a grin of victory at having spotted it at all. "I found it at the bottom of a cliff and was worried that she might be dead but there wasn't a body anywhere…just a lot of blood. It smelled really bad, was pretty gruesome…but that means she has to be somewhere right?"

"Bottom of a cliff?" Sango asked with concern coming into her eyes as she thought about that. "That's pretty far to the edge of the area we asked you to search Hachi. It's really close to…"

She didn't finish the thought aloud, glancing to make certain that Miroku was on the same page as her.

"Sesshomaru's territory." He finished for her with a equally worried nod, smacking the racoon with his staff for making the fox kit seem alight with new worry at his description of the scene. "But yes, if you found one of her belongings there then likely the next best step would be to speak to people in that area of the country."

"That guy?" Shippou asked nervously, the demon lord had always frightened the bejesus out of the tiny fox. "Do you think he'd even answer if we asked if he'd seen her? He might just try to kill us."

"It's possible after the final battle with Naraku." Miroku didn't seem convinced of it himself given the doubtful tone of voice. "It's the first lead we've found in a while as to her whereabouts though."

"We have to at least try then." Sango agreed. "It'll take us a while to get there even with Hachi though. Want to leave in the morning?"

"Yeah…want to stay the night with me?" Miroku asked with a sly smile, his hands wandering to Sango's bottom. "I saw you appreciating my understanding of a woman's heart."

The resounding slap and slam of the door left Shippou rolling his eyes and the monk smiling despite the redness forming in his cheek.

"Keep dreaming Monk." Sango snapped with irritation as she left. "You don't know anything."

_**ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo**_

Kagome stared at the door after the very odd man left, who would get a tattoo on their forehead? He had a certain natural regal appearance that inspired respect but his attitude and demeanor ruined the fact that he was so attractive.

She shook her head and leaned back to rest as she'd been bid, not because she was told to but because she realized she really did need to relax with everything that had happened.

"_Is he right?" _she wondered as she settled an arm over her eyes gently. The gesture was somehow comforting even as he helped block out more of the light in the room than the curtains did. _"How much of my memory did I lose if I did lose some of it? I thought amnesia meant I forgot everything, even my name…but I remember my name and my family and my friends and school… I've got to find a phone soon though so I can contact someone and get out of this strange place."_

She eventually drifted off to sleep with her thoughts, waking sometime later to the noise of someone ruffling through the dresser. She blinked in surprise at what she was seeing, idly wondering if she was dreaming.

A stunning woman with a long set of folded dragonfly wings coming from her back was calmly folding linen and putting it away. The wings appeared to be faceted blue and green stained glass, though it was hard to see where or how they attached to her back because amazingly bright silver hair was falling over them almost like a shiny cloak. She was wearing a fairly simple Kimono with a low back because of the unreal appendages. She turned with a smile when she realized that Kagome was awake.

"Oh. I didn't mean to disturb you lady…" she started to apologize when the teenager started to scream and backpedal away.

Kagome had seen her eyes and started to freak out. The Dragonfly demoness had green eyes that were faceted and stuck out a bit from her head much like the animal that she partially embodied. The many reflections of her bruised face staring back at her was a little much for the girl without memory of demons to bear.

"Miss…I…please don't scream." the servant seemed suddenly anxious and glanced at the door.

Kagome backed further away on the large bed, wanting to cradle herself or bite herself and wake up but the pain from her injuries already told her that she wasn't still asleep. She very very badly wished she was asleep so she could wake up from this nightmare.

"You'll wake the Lord and he'll be unhappy with my service." the woman looked back to the supposed invalid she was suppose to be caring for. Kagome backed so far she fell from the bed and barely managed to catch herself, her whole brain threatening to send her into a feint from the quick movement and impact.

"A bit late for that." Sesshomaru's deep tenor reached them from the bathroom door, there must have been another connecting room with it for him to have arrived that way. "What is going on here Emera?"

The voice made her feel a little better, mostly because even if the man was strange he at least was apparently in control of whatever the woman was.

"I was just folding her some clothing and putting it away as once she starts to walk commonly again I'm sure she'll want a clean change from time to time. When she woke and looked at me she just started screaming as if she expected me to attack her." The woman bowed as she rushed her words to explain. "My greatest apologies for causing this disturbance to your slumber Lord Sesshomaru."

"Don't dwell on it Emera." the lord answered, instead looking at Kagome as he considered things. "Take your leave of us, you may return to work with her in an hour."

"Yes Lord." The woman bowed lower, which hadn't seemed possible, and then swept from the room without much of a sound as Kagome was still pulling herself back to her shaky feet.

"Ow…" she complained aloud at her clumsiness, blushing again as Sesshomaru continued to stare.

"Why is it you were so rude to Emera? Was she displeasing in some way?" He asked with the same cool he always seemed to possess. "Did I not tell you that I was having a demon healer come to work with you?"

"Wait…" she pulled herself to where she was sitting on the bed, paling at his explanation. "You are telling me that she's a demon? That's not possible, demons aren't real."

He stared at the woman again for a long time, curious of her odd claims and behavior.

"Where were you raised that you don't know of demons?" He finally asked, the intrigue was peaking even his rare interest. This woman got stranger and stranger each day. It would make sense if she had lost some of her memory, but if she remembered a family then she must have been from someplace where demon races were uncommon. He couldn't think of any of those offhand, and her appearance placed her as a native to Japan.

"I'm from one of the shrines in Tokyo." She answered, still wanting to disbelieve what she'd seen. Grasping at the thought that maybe it was just a really cruel practical joke. "Everyone knows demons aren't real. They're just stories to frighten or entertain people."

"You are mistaken." He replied with a flick of his wrist, summoning his energy into the long ribbon like whip that he sometimes used just to show her the power. "You are staying in an estate full of us. Don't start screaming again though unless you want me to gag you."

That much paused her thoughts of more noise and an attempt to run away, her brown gaze following the weaving ribbon of yellow energy.

"No one here will harm you, you are under my protection." He explained. "You will allow Emera to tend to you so that you will recover faster. Your priestly powers allow you a greater regeneration than most humans so hopefully soon I'll be able to send you safely on your way."

She nodded a little, completely uncertain of just how she was suppose to act and at a loss of anything else to say. This was a little more than she was willing to believe, she laid herself back down with a wonder if she wouldn't wake in her bed late for school in the morning and tell this all to her friends as some fanciful dream.

"What did he call me? A priestess? This is all too much…maybe I'm hallucinating cause of the hit to my head."

_**ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo**_

"How long do you plan to hold that mortal here? Subjects within the grounds are growing concerned with her continued presence now that she's awakened." The voice was calm but serious as the speaker stared at Sesshomaru from swirling snowy eyes.

The man appeared to be nothing else than a simple servant, wearing a tailored black suit with tails and immaculately white gloves, short alabaster hair fell to just above his shoulders with bangs interrupting the view of his unique vision. He wore paired long-daggers for weapons that could be seen settled at his belt. Similar to the Japanese wakasashi's but curved in such a way that changed their weapon style enough to not fit the exact name. His expression was difficult to read thanks to the fact that the emotions his eyes expressed constantly seemed to shift chaotically.

"What are you suggesting Rimida?" Sesshomaru asked, looking almost bored with the conversation's sudden turn. "That I should go out of my way to bring pointless concerns of my servant's to ease? That is below my position."

"I realize that and nor am I saying you should do anything at all." The man offered a small shrug and widening of his hands. "But you should be aware of the whispers that occur. My sister hears much and sees more. It is my duty to pass such information on to you. She sees trouble in the future that she is unable to place that circles that woman and her so far unknown position within this house. Though she did also mention her continued presence would possibly lead to great prosperity for the western lands."

"Saiya has seen things involving the human?" Sesshomaru was more interested but that was only shown by the boredom disappearing from his tone. He didn't show any actual intrigue but the sudden lack of tedium gave away his true feelings to those who knew how to look.

"Only what I just mentioned, I don't pretend to know what her visions mean. I have never had the seer's blood of most of my bloodline." He shrugged a little. "My area of interest lies elsewhere as you are aware. Do you require anything else of me while I'm here my lord?"

The demon lord leaned back as he considered what he'd just been told, resisting an urge to drum sharp claws on the desk where he'd been trapped all morning. He had paid a pretty penny for such rare wood to be imported, and then more for the craftsman capable of making what he wanted, he wouldn't scratch if no matter how mind-numbing the day became. If the woman was now in the visions of his best seer, then there was something more to her than he originally knew. Even if she might bring trouble it was never a good idea to ignore what fate's mistress' had to say about the future.

"I want you to give up your teaching in the fields for a while and take up guarding our mortal guest until further notice. If what you say about the unrest is true your presence should deter people getting ideas about harming her." He nodded slightly and returned to the papers in front of him as a silent dismissal of his guard.

The man nodded once, bowing before leaving the office without much sound, nearly floating over the ground as he walked…so easy was his movement. Her room not being far from the office made a short trip before he knocked on the door.

"Come in." Came a nervous female voice in response.

He stepped into the room, glancing over the woman laying in the bed and her still heavy injuries before he closed the door again. He could sense her fear and with what he understood of her loss of memory and lack of real knowledge of demons he couldn't blame her for the nervousness in his presence.

He approached but remained far enough away that he wouldn't take personal damage if her holy powers happened to flare at his presence.

"You have no need to be fearful lady." His voice was hardly comforting more than slightly confusing, it also seemed to shift through more emotions than she could follow. "I am Rimida, a demon of Chaos as it were. I'm here to let you know that I've been assigned as your personal guard to help put your mind at ease while you are a guest at my lord's estate."

"A bodyguard?" She didn't seem less anxious by the news, wringing her hands in her sheets as she glanced to her lap and then back to him. "Why, do I need one?"

"It is a simple precaution. Besides, given your stress at your being here the lord believed it might be easier for you to have someone around to be of aid so you would perhaps be less scared of your surroundings." He explained as he watched her, picking up details about her by her movements and watching her as she stared.

"Your eyes are really…moving…aren't they?" She asked curiously. It was hard not to be trapped by a pair of eyes that moved.

"Yes." He smiled at her, remembering that humans enjoyed such odd details. "It's a part of my blood you could say."

"You seem really organized for a chaotic person." She added, as if already just accepting him as her personal solider.

"It's a matter of personal taste." He said mysteriously. "If I ever tell you not to look at me however, I would greatly appreciate if you would simply listen. My true form could be harmful to the psyche of most other creatures. I wouldn't wish for it to cause you harm."

"Oh…" She nodded a little, trying to take all of the strange information in. "So why are you wearing a suit if you are here to protect me? Shouldn't you have armor or something?"

She thought it better not to dwell on just how looking at his 'true' form might effect her psyche.

"My clothing works as armor." He replied without offering further explanation. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better now that I've been able to learn a little more from Emera and she's been doing what she can to heal me but I guess having priestly powers makes it harder for her…I don't' understand a lot of all of this still. It seems more like a dream than reality." She smiled tiredly, as if just thinking about it took energy out of her.

Yet, she had a natural cheerfulness that was infectious and Rimida had to admit that he didn't mind the mortal that much. He'd never been one that was interested in causing harm to those of lesser power than he so her throwing such a kink in Sesshomaru's usually perfectly run house was something that was close to his heart given what demonic race he represented.

"I shouldn't bother you too much at the moment." He nodded to her again. "I will be outside so if you need anything just call for me. Rest well lady."

"Kagome." the girl corrected as she yawned, starting to fall asleep again at the suggestion. "Just call me Kagome."

"Lady Kagome then." He winked as he left the room, closing the door.

"_I think this will be a fun job at least." _He thought to himself as he leaned against the wall nearby.

"Rimida?" A surprised voice reached his ears and he turned to look at another of the demons within the large estate that worked for Sesshomaru. "Why is the captain of the guard wasting his time in the halls when there is so much training for the young ones to be done?"

The smaller male had brilliant green eyes and matching long hair that was pulled back in a simple ponytail, he wore light leather armor that was black in color and had a nasty looking red short sword on his belt that seemed to pulse with some sort of negative energy. He had a slightly shocked expression on his pressed, hawk like face.

The paler demon grinned back at him callously. "I suppose I'll be kind and take that as a greeting for one's superior. What is a scavenger like you doing in this part of the estate, Tuay?"

"I was just taking a walk Captain Rimida." The smaller man shrugged indifferently. "No reason to get so touchy just because you were demoted to common bodyguard. I suppose then that the girl everyone's talking about is staying in the room behind you. Funny that that's the room reserved for the lord's eventual mate isn't it?"

"Seems news travels fast. I'll have to recommend the troops workload is doubled if people can afford to spend their time gossiping like hens." He returned with a shrug. "It is the most secure place, I suggested myself that it be used when I knew that the lord would be looking out for another mortal girl. I'd hate to see a repeat of what happened to Lady Rin a few months ago." "Oh yes, the demon that attacked the young one." Tuay put on a sad expression. "It was a pity that they never caught the people behind that particular event."

"I'm sure you feel that way." Rimida answered with a simple shrug. "Either way, I see you in this area again when you are banned from it and I'll have to throw you into the prison won't I? I was never actually demoted from my real position after all. I have no patience for the vulture clan."

"No need to threaten Captain. It doesn't become you. I'll be on my way." He tipped a non-existent hat and moved along the corridor again, disappearing around the corner moments later.

The chaos demon stared after him for a long while, narrowing his churning stormy gaze as he thought about the many things such a visit could possibly mean for him and the lady resting within the room behind him, blissfully unaware so far of the many political issues that were being spun in a deadly web around her person.

"_I guess that Sesshomaru had the right person in mind when he picked me out for this. I've been wanting an excuse to kill that little rat for years now, hopefully he'll give me a reason. Whatever happens, this promises to be a great amount of fun for me."_

The thoughts brought a dark smile to the suited demon's face as he leaned back against the wall again and cast his eyes toward the ceiling to wait.

**End Chapter**

I combined a couple of the original chapters of Shattered to make this chapter of the remake for Rimida and Kagome. I wanted to work on it a little more so I figured I'd just do it this way and have a longer single chapter than two shorter ones. Also, the initial appearance of Rimida - yay. I loves him.

_-Aura_

P.S. I appreciate the few reviews I've gotten again but I'd really love to see some more uh…love? I guess. Or something.


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